OK, here is the final table of contents by chapter with details.
Introduction
Includes info about the Setting, details what the book contains, explains how the book interacts with the Boxed Set, has a personal note from Bob and a sidebox about Judges Guild.
History
Details the calendar system (both the BCCC system and the Commoner's calendar), has a cool picture of the Calendar Obelisk beneath the City State. It details the history and politics of the Wilderlands, with a little bit about the ancient events of the Uttermost War, Markrabs, Kelnore, teh Dragon Kings, the War of the Pious and Philosophers all from a player's perspective. Then it picks up with more detailed history starting with the founding of Viridistan and running until the current date of 4433 BCCC. Here is a sample:
The Demon Siege
In 3227 BCCC, the same year he banished the disloyal families that went on to found Warwik, the Overlord set a great army against the Emperor, joined by the wild Tharbrians, the bitter foes of Viridistan. The inner dissent in the Overlord’s power structure seriously weakened his war efforts; though a unified Overlord army may not have made a difference in the Demon Siege, it might have resulted in the destruction of the World Emperor at an earlier opportunity, on the field of Ukrak Morfut.
The Emperor, with a fury born of desperation, united all the Vasthosts that remained to him at the Holy Mounds twenty miles north of the city. The great Elsenwood Forest blocked any direct approach from the north by an army; the Overlord Vasthosts were then passing through the Brigand Hills south of the Gigabolt range and would probably skirt Elsenwood to the east by following the coast of the Trident Gulf, and the Wild Men, at last report, were crossing the Kendhras River and would most likely go west of Elsenwood, seeking to approach Viridistan through the old battlefield of Freeman Fields. The Emperor marched north with his entire army to meet the Vasthosts of the Overlord.
This army differed from all others known up to that time; it relied heavily upon the works of spell-casters who worked both at long range and on the battle line to protect the troops and wreak havoc among the enemy ranks. Moreover, the Imperial archers were stocked with special carbelium arrows made of a red metal which cuts through iron as if it were butter, and, to provide a major strategic advantage, the Emperor’s forces knew of many trails that led through the heart of Elsenwood which would provide quick passage through the forest.
The two armies met near the village of Ukrak Morfut some eighty miles north of Viridistan. There, though outnumbered three to one, the Imperial forces fought the Overlord’s army to a standstill. The wizards’ specially-researched spells caused great disarray among the throngs of the Overlord, the baggage train, and other rear echelons. The Emperor left a crack Vasthost to delay the advance of the foe and sped south with his main army through the depths of Elsenwood to the Uiscur Bogs where the Tharbrians had forded the River Leander. The Tharbrians, too, became entangled in the web of sorcery woven by the Imperial Wizards, even though they were stronger than the Overlord’s Vasthosts. The Emperor then fell back to Viridistan, having shown himself to be a master of strategy by staving off forces that totaled seven times his own.
He had given a second coven of wizards, working day and night in Viridistan, the time they needed. When at last his many enemies converged upon his Immortal City, the World Emperor had gained command of some reinforcements. Sources disagree as to exactly how many there were, but all agree that they were demons led by the Demon-Prince Demogorgon himself!
The battle was long and furious; the Overlord’s generals had brought enough magical aid to combat magical creatures in the wilderness and so were not entirely unprepared. However, the powers of the demon horde and their awful Prince were great, and they proved to be greater than those of mortal men. The siege was broken, and the two armies fled in disorder to their homelands. Many speculations have been made as to the exact nature of the bargain struck with Demogorgon and what had been given him to persuade him to summon such power. Perhaps it was the final desperate step of an empire in decline.
The City State of the Invincible Overlord, though it had halted its tribute to Viridistan for a time, resumed payment of tribute, though at a decreased rate, and the Tharbrians were apparently so filled with awe and terror that they decided upon other lands as their goals, for the great invasions ceased; only the more common, less warlike, grazing tribes have passed through the lands since, with the same frequency before.
There is about 8 pages of history with this level of detail.The chapter then details Judges History, with more info for Judges Only (the only Judges Only content in the book), which divides the history into 5 periods and provides details for use of Knowledge skill checks and Bardic Knowledge regarding the various time periods. The Judge's History section is in the form of a timeline where the player's info is in text. The Judge's History also has a note on the Pre-history of the setting (aka Markrabs, etc).
Characters
By far the biggest chapter. It details all the races--the human sub-species (Alryan, Antillian, Common Avalonian, Common Orichalan, Common Viridian, Dunael, Ghinoran, Gishmesh, Karakhan, Skandik, Tharbrian), the new races Altanian, Amazon, Avalonian; it also details the various other races, including many sub-types of elves, dwarves, gnomes, halflings and a cool type of half elf called the half-mer-elf. The optional XP table is provided here. The chapter then details the various classes and provides four new classes--the Alchemist, Amazon Warrior, Sage and Witch. It explains how the prestige classes in the DMG are found in the Wilderlands including a modified version of the Red Wizards called Chromatic Wizards that are the specialist mages of Tula. It details new amazon armor. It also details tomes of knowledge--ancient books of learning with special abilities. The chapter then details special skills and modificiations to skills, such as the new Craft (poisonmaking) skill that is unique to the Alchemist, special notes on all the Knowledge skills and rules for regional familiarity, the Sail skill and the Speak Language and Read Language skills. The chapter also details a bunch of new feats unique to the setting. The chapter then details the many languages and alphabets of the Wilderlands, including many dead languages such as Logii, the strange mathematical language of the ancient Philosophers as well as True Viridian, Ancient Draconic, Kelnoran, the Elder Tongue and Markrab. The whole book--but this chapter particularly--has cool art by David Day of a very hot Amazon Warrior with a two handed sword and her pet lion, a Mycretian heirophant, a Black Lotus assassin, a Skandik cleric of Odin, an Azurerain Pirate duelist, a Tharbrian fighter, an Antillian merchant and an Altanian barbarian.
Here is a little flavor:
Characters
Ice wizards of Valon, secluded in their shimmering silver and gold towers or using weather mastery to propel their ships over the Uther Pentwegern Sea. Red-skinned barbarians of Altanis carving out history with their bloody axes. Pirates of Tarantis, in league with the Tarantine Merchants, pillaging the shipping lanes of the Winedark Sea. Fierce Amazon Warriors, wearing little or no armor, accompanied by their saber-toothed tigers, bringing death with their shining swords. Rangers of Dearthwood, battling the vicious Orcs of the Purple Claw, ever searching for their foe’s stronghold.
The Wilderlands is an ancient setting of high fantasy, with fallen empires and disparate cultures and races. This chapter details how you can create a character immersed in the rich background of the Wilderlands.
Any character created using the rules in the Player’s Handbook works as a Wilderlands character. This chapter, however, goes further and tells how you may create a character tailored for play in the Wilderlands. There are new races, new classes, new feats, regional background information, new skills and new languages. A separate chapter details the many gods of the Wilderlands.
Map Overview
Details the 18 regions of the Wilderlands and contains the Regions map.
Cities
Details all 6 major city states in great detail then provides information on 50 more cities and towns of the Wilderlands that appear on the Player's map.
Geographic Features
Details 200 entries of the features found on the Player's Map. Includes cool art by David Day of the Orcs of the Purple Claw surging out of Dearthwood as well as the sea monster Maelstron.
Guide to the City State
This chapter is a "walking tour" of the City State of the Invincible Overlord from a player's perspective, detailing over 30 interesting locations. Features a player's map of the City State with numbered locations. Also has a really cool illo of the Baleful Eye of Morg that is found in Hellbridge Temple.
Gods
More than just a list of gods, this chapter gives rules for patrons for non-clerics, becoming a champion of a god, it details the full cosmology of the Wilderlands and all the planes of existence. Then it details a whole bunch (over 60 I believe) gods from the setting.
Monsters
With the help of Scott Greene, this chapter contains a ton of monsters for the setting, including winged apes, dorins, demonbrood, houris, dragon lords, hawk men, dragon headed ogres, sabre toothed tigers, mastadons, cavemen, and many others, such as the catoblepas and peryton, all in full 3.5 monster entry glory!
Player's Map
A huge fold out full color player's map that you can go check out right now on the Judges Guild page.
You can see the fold out map and the Regions map at
www.judgesguild.com.
Clark
